happily ever after
by monosaccharide
Summary: Hori is like home; he is like the smell of old books, the sound of crisp pages turning, the ringing of the bell above the front entrance, the oak bookshelves she loves so much, the climax of a story, the calm happily ever after, and the sunlight that filters through the windows at sunset.


**_this is my entry for horikashi week day 7 - AU. this is a "bookstore AU" of sorts. i just thought it would be fun to explore what their relationship would possibly be like if they never met in high school or were never in drama club together. i like to believe that because of how responsible he is for kashima, if they were never in club together, then any mental block he may have in regards to kashima and romantic feelings are essentially gone, so enjoy my raw, unedited ~15k word vomit._**

* * *

It's a pleasant day for work, Kashima thinks as she settles behind the counter and sets the feather duster aside for later. She has come to realize that, a couple of years since she'd first opened up the store, it's days like these she appreciates the most. The store is empty but also alive; the sound of a ticking clock, of coffee brewing in the distant corner of the store and, most importantly, the turning pages of books— a crisp, almost crackling sound that lasts for the shortest of seconds which leaves nothing but silence in its wake.

It's normally during this hour when she can experience these moments, when everyone is simply there for one reason and one reason only: their love of reading. About an hour after lunch time ends (when people are done making last minute purchases for school or leaving with nothing but a cup of coffee to go or when her beloved fangirls come by for their daily visit), Kashima sees her regulars walk in with the smallest of smiles gracing their faces, and she greets them, beaming from ear to ear, addressing them by their names.

She knows them by heart: their favorite genres, how long they like their novels, whether they're fast or slow readers, their favorite authors, their jobs and even how they like their coffee (even though she's _not_ the barista).

So today she goes through her regular routine of chatting up every single one of the few customers that stop by during this hour for a minute or two at a time while organizing some of the books left in disarray from earlier in the day. Their poor handling of her precious books almost make her want to puke, but she chooses to suppress those feelings because, hey, she's running a business here.

Kashima Yuu is kind of an airhead, but she's not stupid enough to actually _puke_ on her _customers_.

Finally reaching the displays near the front entrance, she begins to straighten up the various displays she has set up, making sure all the various stacks of books are neat and orderly, her eyes meticulously scanning the area for any books that are out of alignment with the rest.

And that's when _he_ walks in.

Slicked back brown locks and golden brown eyes. He's kind of short, Kashima muses, and he's _definitely_ never walked through those doors before. (And oh _god_ why hasn't he before now.) When their eyes meet, she feels something strange in the pit of her stomach and an unfamiliar warmth building up in her chest. When she doesn't speak, he saunters towards her, their eyes still locked, stopping about two feet away from her and clears his throat.

"I-I was wondering where I could find the drama section? I heard that this store actually carries a wide range of plays and scripts, so I just wanted to check it out," he says, his deep, velvety voice bringing her back to reality. Deep and as smooth as velvet, like that chocolate parfait she had the other day. (Ok, maybe she lied when she thought that she had snapped out of whatever trance she was in.)

"A-Ah, yes. Follow me," she stutters, quickly turning around, the heels of her oxfords digging into the carpet.

Kashima takes him all the way to her absolute _favorite_ part of the store: the very back. Tall oak bookshelves lined with almost any play or script anyone could ever think to ask for. When she apprehensively glances at him, she sees him standing still, his eyes wide with awe.

And her heart almost stops beating.

" _So_ … What do you think?" Kashima asks, tearing her eyes away from his face and deciding to focus on the small grooves in the shelves instead. "This is my favorite part of the store, y'know? I spent a long time trying to build up this collection."

"… _Amazing_."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"This is _amazing_! I'd heard that your store had a large collection, but I didn't think it was _this large_. At first I thought that with a name as cheesy as Happily Ever After, it was definitely plausible, but I was not expecting this."

She flashes him a smile and thanks him, "I'm really flattered… So is there anything you're looking for in particular?"

"Not really," he replies, beginning to browse. "Just seeing if there's anything that catches my eye."

She hums in acknowledgement and decides to follow behind him, matching his pace. "So you really enjoy plays, huh?"

"Yeah. I used to act a bit in high school. In fact, I was actually president of the drama club for two years," he replies, the corners of his eyes softening and his lips curving into a fond smile. "I was actually also a theater major in college, and now I help build a bunch of sets for a living. And, of course, I do help direct small productions every now and then, but I prefer working behind the scenes more."

"Really? I was also in my school's drama club! I actually played the lead all throughout high school."

"Well with a face like that," he says, getting on his tip-toes in order to reach for a script on one of the upper shelves, "I can see why."

And she's about to grab it for him when her brain finally processes what he just said and she stops in her tracks, hand barely grazing the spine of the book. He glances up at her, and she slowly slides the script off the shelf and shakily places it in his hands while trying to avoid his gaze. When she looks down at him, he's still looking up at her with wide eyes and his mouth slightly parted.

And this time, she doesn't look away. She takes in the contour of his face, his confident posture and _everything_. When she looks into his eyes, she can see her reflection staring back at her and she sees that, in that very moment, she's probably making the exact face he is.

Kashima's stomach begins to feel uneasy, so she clears her throat and puts on her best smile. "This is what you wanted, right?"

He visibly stiffens upon hearing her speak and slowly nods his head.

"Well, if you need anything, I'll be over there." She gestures to the counter to their right.

"O-Okay. Thanks a lot for your help." He's about to walk away to a nearby table when he hesitantly turns around. "By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

"Kashima. Kashima Yuu," she replies, her name suddenly feeling foreign, struggling as the syllables roll off her tongue. "And you?"

"I'm Hori," he curtly responds with a small smile.

Kashima cocks her head to the side and eyes Hori curiously. "Hori? Hori… what, exactly?"

"Oh, it's Masayuki. Hori Masayuki."

She taps her chin and slowly nods her head, and when he turns on his heel and leaves, she manages to sputter out a quick and jumbled "It was nice meeting you, Hori-san!"

He stops in his tracks and turns his head to give her a wide grin. "It's just Hori," he says before walking away once again.

She notices how pleasant his name sounds as his name smoothly spills out of her mouth as she chants it under her breath over and over again as she takes a seat and settles behind her desk.

"Hori Masayuki… Masayuki, Masayuki… Masayuki, Hori."

It has some sort of soothing rhythm to it, she thinks. When she looks over to where he's sitting, she watches as he intently reads the script she helped him get earlier and feels the overwhelming urge to just march on over and plop down in the chair next to him. However, she holds herself back and decides that she's simply content with watching him from afar.

She's so distracted by him that she doesn't notice the person standing in front of her, awkwardly tapping their fingers on the book they have placed on her counter.

"Kashima-kun, is something the matter?"

Kashima whips her head up and when she sees the woman standing in front of her, she instantly relaxes and chuckles softly. "Oh, Chiyo-chan, it's just you. It's nothing. Just spaced out a bit."

She quickly scans the book's barcode and gently places it into a plastic bag. " _How to Get a Man to Fall in Love With You_? Who's the lucky guy this time?"

"Nobody."

" _Really?_ "

"Yep. It's no one. I'm just curious, so I'm buying this for _future_ reference."

"Are you sure it's not a certain black-haired man who's about yea tall and always comes to _my_ bookstore during this hour to read _shoujo_ manga."

" _Maybe_."

When Sakura is done counting out her money and drops it into Kashima's hands, she mischievously glances at Hori and shoots Kashima a smug look.

"Spaced out, huh?" she laughs, watching as Kashima's somewhat panicked expression gradually shifts to one of confusion. "Well, I wish you the best of luck," she says, subtly motioning to the man sitting not too far away.

Kashima blankly stares at her before glancing at Hori, and she blinks once, twice, thrice, before shakily handing Sakura her change. "What do you mean, exactly? And don't change the subject!"

"Oh, never mind," she huffs. Sakura gently places a hand over Kashima's coin filled one and tells her the keep the change before taking the receipt and skipping out of the store. She skims over the contents of the receipt before allowing her attention to settle on the very bottom of the smooth slip of paper.

" _His name is Nozaki Umetarou."_

Kashima is _the best_ , Sakura thinks as she buries her face in her hands.

* * *

She eats her lunch slowly, her chopsticks in one hand and a book in the other. The store is empty now save for the barista and Hori, who hasn't budged in the past two hours. She glances over and sees him hunched over.

"Is he asleep?" she whispers to herself. "Oh well."

She continues to eat, thinking that he'll wake up soon, but when she's done and he's _still_ asleep, she decides to do what she should've done _hours_ ago when he was still, well, awake. She quietly sits beside him and opens her book to her bookmark to continue reading. However, she pauses and softly closes the book, opting to watch him sleep instead. She watches the rise and fall of his shoulders as he calmly breathes and just how peaceful and _angelic_ he looks right now.

And Hori right now is honestly the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

She notices the smudged graphite on his hand and realizes that he's been taking notes in a journal. She hesitantly picks up the journal and curiously skims through it. There's a plethora of notes regarding possible stage setups and arrangements for the play he was reading along with costume sketches and small side notes about character portrayals.

"He's really dedicated to his job, huh."

There's a lot of love in his words, she thinks as she places the worn down journal back down onto the table. She softly smiles down at him before taking off her cardigan. She gingerly drapes it over his shoulders and hesitantly watches him sleep, becoming lost in the rhythm of his breathing. When she hears a bell ring, she knows that het barista had just left. _He's always been a silent one, that Mayu. Why'd I hire him anyways?_

And now they are truly alone, she realizes.

Just the two of them.

All she can hear is his soft breathing and the distant ticking of a clock, and she can't help but notice the way the sunlight filters through the windows and falls on his face. And the only thought that crosses her mind is "Oh _no_ he's cute."

As the day winds down to a close, Kashima lightly shakes his shoulder. "Hey, Hori-san, it's closing time so you have to leave now."

When he doesn't stir, she nudges him softly once more, watching as his shut eyes begin to move for the shortest of seconds before they languidly flutter open. He blinks a couple of times before registering where he is, and when he sees Kashima intently gazing at him in his peripheral vision, he visibly stiffens.

"Ah, Kashima…" he says, groggily sitting up. "How long as I asleep?"

"Hori-san, it's been about three hours."

"It's just Hori. No need to be so formal." He corrects her and slowly runs his hand through his hair before slightly slumping over. "And it's been that long?"

"Yeah."

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up?!"

Kashima swallows the lump in her throat. "W-Well that's because you looked so adorable while you were asleep, and I can't disturb a princess's rest!"

" _Princess_?"

"O-Oh, ah, yes, about that…" Kashima's voice trails off and she inwardly curses herself for falling back into her old habits. "F-Forget I said that—"

" _You're just like a prince_ ," he thinks out loud.

"Huh, you think so?" She allows his words to sink in as she cocks her head to the side.

"I _know_ so." He blankly stares at the table before lightly drumming his fingers against its smooth surface. He clicks his tongue before halting and slowly reaching for his journal. "Well you did mention playing the lead all throughout high school, so it makes sense."

"Ah, yes. Old habits of mine sometimes sneak up on me. I can't help it. Anyways, it's late, and it's about time for me to close."

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it had gotten so late." He nervously shuffles around, gathering his belongings and hesitantly picking up the book he was reading. "Oh, Kashima, this—"

"You can have it."

"What?"

"It's yours now, Hori. I don't mind parting with it."

"Oh…" He hesitantly places the book in his bag before thanking her, his eyes full of mirth. "You're the best! Y'know that, Kashima?"

She nervously averts her gaze, clasping her hands together and twiddling her thumbs. "Well, I wouldn't say _that_ …"

"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me!" He secures the clasp on his bag and Kashima listens intently as it clicks shut and echoes throughout the empty store. "Oh yeah. Before I forget, here's my number." He undoes the clasp and takes out his journal, tearing out a page towards the back and quickly scribbles something down. "If you ever need _anything_ , don't hesitate to call, Kashima." He slings his bag over his shoulder and grins. "Just text me your name later on today, 'kay?"

"R-Right." Kashima slowly nods and only manages to wordlessly watch in a trance as he rushes out of the store. She glances at the sheet of paper in her hands and feels an unusual sensation begin to bubble in her stomach.

"He just gave me his number? Without me asking?"

She slowly takes out her phone from back pocket and watches as her trembling hands input his number. One by one, her shaky hands type his name, and she promptly messages him saying, "Hey this is Kashima!"

And out of sheer impulse, she goes back to her contacts list, scrolls down to "Hori Masayuki," gives into temptation, and changes his name to "Masa-chan" because there's no way he'll ever know. Right?

"Masa-chan," she says, placing her phone face-down on the table. " _Damn_ , he's _cute_!"

That night, Kashima tosses and turns in her bed, unable to come to terms with her new internal conflict. She stills and apprehensively glances at her phone before firmly taking it in her hand.

" _If you ever need_ anything _, don't hesitate to ask me."_

His words echo in her head, and she swallows as her mouth begins to feel unusually dry, and that is when she notices just how _clammy_ her hands are.

Kashima Yuu is sweating _buckets_.

" _If you ever need_ anything _, don't hesitate to ask me."_

She is on the verge of dying from heat exhaustion, possibly dehydration, and the worst stomach ache she has experienced to date because what Kashima Yuu _really_ wants, more than anything else in the world, is to ask this boy— this man— out on a date. And she doesn't mean those cute dates she enjoys going out with members of her fan club. _No_. She means a _date_ date. A romantic date.

A romantic candle-lit dinner at night fall where she can whisper sweet nothings into his ear and hold him softly against her chest and kiss him under the light of a thousand stars— _No_ , Kashima thinks. _No_ , she musn't think such impure, dirty thoughts about such a pure-hearted maiden such as her _beloved_ Masa-chan, whom she has only just met, but it is this fact, strangely enough, which draws her even closer to him. He's almost beckoning her to gallantly sweep him off his feet because this is what fairytales are made of, and at the end, she'll be able to sweetly kiss his lips and proclaim, "Now, you and I, my bambino, are _forever_ ," but, of course, she would never _dare_ to do that.

And now she's been reduced to that of a dreaming child with a wish, stuck at her window, pleading to the brightest star _please, please, please make my wish come true_ , so she closes her eyes and begs, "Please, please, _please_ come visit me tomorrow."

And he does.

Every time he comes, without fail, Kashima greets him with the widest, most breathtaking smile she can muster. He smiles back, and she escorts him to the back while asking him various questions in a silly attempt to start a conversation with him just so she can hear his voice a little longer.

"What are you looking for today?" she asks, and he grins before giving her a lengthy explanation about work and how he's been thinking about actually acting again. Kashima slowly nods as she listens to him ramble on and grabs what he was looking for even though he could've reached it himself this time.

He lightly punches her arm and scowls. "I could've gotten that myself, y'know?"

She simply laughs as he shrinks ever so slightly before sheepishly thanking her, his face lightly flushed, and for Kashima, it's honestly quite a sight to behold.

She watches him from afar, and she notices that Hori has a strange habit. It wasn't a one-time-only sort of deal but rather a this-happens-every-single-time-I-come-here kind of thing. For some strange reason, he always falls asleep. Kashima's muffled laughter dances through the air, and she quietly approaches him before gently draping a jacket over his shoulders and placing a bookmark in the page he was reading.

This happens multiple times. Hori falls asleep, and Kashima always makes a mental note to bring a jacket or a cardigan of sorts with her in preparation of the events she knows are going to transpire. One day he even forgets to bring an umbrella (despite the forecast saying there would be a 90% chance of rain), so Kashima lends him an umbrella, knowing all too well that he has to come visit again tomorrow in order to return it. Now she always leaves a spare umbrella under the counter just in case he happens to forget again. She even contemplates leaving a blanket in the store for him.

(She does.)

He's been reading the same thing for a while, Kashima notices, so while he sleeps, she saves his place and memorizes lines from the most recent page. _Maybe I can woo him with this someday,_ she thinks, her lips curving into a gentle smile as she absentmindedly braids his hair while he sleeps.

 _Strange, how did this happen_ , he wonders when he combs his hair later that night.

The next time he drops by, he reads the same thing, so Kashima takes this as a sign for her to make her move. She tiptoes behind him while he's reading and begins to recite the lines she had learned just the other day. She takes a seat beside him and curiously eyes him to gauge his reaction. However, she wasn't quite prepared for _this._ He's looking at her like he's never seen anything so absolutely _wonderful_ before in his whole entire life.

Kashima can feel her ears turning red, and she sputters out a not-so-resound, "S-So what did you think?"

However, he doesn't answer her question. Instead, he reads aloud the next line, leaving Kashima stunned because _oh my god_ this man is _fantastic_. When he pauses and meets her eyes with a sort of ferocity she's never seen from him before, she takes this as her cue to continue. Luckily, the store is practically dead at the moment because if someone were to want to ring something up, Kashima wouldn't notice because the only thing going through her mind right now is Hori Masayuki, Hori's acting, Hori's voice, Hori, Hori, Hori, _Hori_.

And the sun sets as Hori lets out sigh of content before chuckling. "I haven't done that in a long time. Thanks, Kashima."

"Me too," Kashima eagerly responds. "You're a great actor, Hori. I think you'd make it big if you tried."

"You think so?" Hori awkwardly laughs while running a hand through his bangs (an action Kashima finds strangely attractive, and she is extremely thankful that it's something he does often).

"Well, actually, I don't know if you remember me telling you this or not, but I've been thinking about it for a long time— getting back into acting, I mean. And they're actually going to be holding auditions here soon, and well… if _you_ think I have what it takes, then I guess I'm _really_ going to be auditioning."

" _Really?!_ That's great!" Kashima exclaims, lightly clapping her hands together. "Then I'll be cheering you on."

After a short exchange, he leaves, and Kashima escorts him to the front entrance before waving goodbye and wishing him good luck. Kashima sighs as she watches his retreating figure and begins to close shop. When she arrives home, she digs through her bag for her house keys, fingers repeatedly grazing over packages of tissues, hand sanitizer, her wallet and other miscellaneous trinkets.

"Where the hell are my keys?!"

And so she backtracks for what feels like an eternity. She's always been athletic, but for some reason, she feels unusually lethargic and just wants to give up and curl up into a fetal position in the middle of the sidewalk when, suddenly, a familiar voice rings out.

" _Kashima_? The hell are you doing out so late?"

She jerks her head up upon hearing her name. When she finds the source of the voice, her suspicions are confirmed, and she laughs as she waves at him.

"Ah, Hori! What a coincidence!" she exclaims as she begins to ascend the stairs.

When she reaches him, she cheerily greets him once more, grinning ear to ear despite the growing scowl on his face.

"You shouldn't do that! If you keep frowning like that, you might get wrinkles and ruin your per— adorable face!"

"And I've heard enough from you today, Kashima."

He invites her in and tells her to take a seat in the living room while he takes a quick shower. Kashima nods and tentatively walks through the door and finds a place to sit. She sits in silence and anxiously scans her surroundings because she has just realized that she is _in his apartment_. Her heart threatens to burst out of her chest, and now, the only thing she can focus on is the sound of rapidly running water coming from the bathroom.

That's when certain _impure_ thoughts begin to taint her mind, such as: _Gee, I wonder what he looks like shirtless,_ or _how nice are his arms because it's autumn and he's been covered up every time he's come in so far_.

She shakes her head and berates herself for even daring to think such inappropriate, _dirty_ thoughts about _him_.

"I am _incorrigible_ ," Kashima says quietly and deeply sighs as she leans back into the sofa. "But… I really want to know!" she whines, lightly tugging at flyaway strands of hair. She collapses onto her side and buries her face in her hands in shame.

"Want to know what?"

'N-N-Nothing!"

" _Right_ … Okay, well I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear anything, and I just wanna let you know that you can take a shower or a bath or whatever now."

Kashima stiffly stands up and nods before shuffling to the bathroom.

"By the way, I left a change of clothes in there for you."

Kashima quickly shuts the door and slowly sinks to the ground and takes a controlled breath to calm her heart rate. She takes another deep breath through her nose this time and is assaulted by the smell of body wash, and that's when she knows that _this is the end_.

She almost passes out while taking a shower.

When she stumbles out, the steam is somewhat nauseating, and all she can smell is Hori, Hori, _Hori_ , and it's driving her absolutely _insane_. She eyes the neatly folded clothes lying on the counter and slowly unfolds them, curiously inspecting them. She slowly slips into the t-shirt and shorts and mentally notes that, yes, his clothes smell just as good as his shampoo and body wash.

(Kashima then proceeds to make it her life's mission to find out what detergent he buys.)

She unlocks the door and slowly makes her way to the guest room. She nervously peers out into the room to see what Hori is doing and her heart almost stops when she hears the wood floor creak from behind her. Kashima lets out a squeak and spins around to find Hori standing there a little shocked.

"O-Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or anything. I was just about to check on you, but it looks like you're already done."

"N-N-No it's okay! You didn't scare me at all!" Kashima exclaims, awkwardly chuckling.

Hori visibly relaxes and leads Kashima to the kitchen. "You've probably not eaten dinner yet, so just sit tight and I'll heat up some left overs for you."

She nods and shifts in her seat before resting her elbows on the table. After what feels like an eternity, the microwave beeps loudly and a plate of food, a bowl of rice, and chopsticks are placed in front of her.

"It's nothing special, but it's all I've got at the moment."

"Thank you, Hori," she says, carefully picking up the chopsticks and feeling as her fingers begin to tremble as they rest against her slender fingers. "I really appreciate it."

He casually sits across from her, watching her as she eats, probably waiting to initiate a conversation of sorts. It looks as if he wants to speak, but apparently, words are failing him at the moment, so Kashima is the one who speaks first.

"You have a nice apartment. It's… cozy," she comments before continuing to slowly eat.

She watches as his eyes flicker from the table to the fridge, and he gets up to grab them drinks. "Thanks. It's okay, I guess. It could be a bit bigger though, to be honest—Oh, water or juice?"

"Water's fine."

And that's how the beginning of the night goes—light clinks of glass against the table, timid sips of water, and friendly chatter with the smell of day old leftovers in the air. It's not what Kashima would consider an "ideal" night, but it's better than nothing, and she begins to believe herself when she said that his apartment was "cozy." However, she wipes that idea from her brain and decides that "homey" is a better description of his apartment than "cozy," and that's when it hits her that Hori is almost like home now. Hori is like home; he is like the smell of old books, the sound of crisp pages turning, the ringing of the bell above the front entrance, the oak bookshelves she loves so much, the climax of a story, the calm happily ever after, and the sunlight that filters through the windows at sunset.

Their conversation becomes livelier when Hori begins to talk about upcoming auditions and how excited he is to get the chance to be on stage once more, even if it's just an audition. And this is how it always is, Kashima realizes. Hori talks about theater, and Kashima encourages him. She realizes that he can be successful if he wants to—no, he _will be_ , she knows it—but egging him on and pushing him toward a soon-to-be-fulfilled dream means pushing him further and further away from her.

He's going to be famous one day, she thinks, and then he won't have time to visit her store on that one street across from that one café, which he may or may not recall in the distant future. But Kashima's a fighter; she's always known this to be true. She would never let him forget because there's still so much more she needs to do—so much more _they_ need to do. She doesn't want to think about this any longer, so she mindlessly nods as he rambles on and then decides to finally finish her food.

"I am stuffed!" she exclaims before getting up to put her dishes in the sink.

"Ah, I'll wash—"

"No, it's fine! I can do at least this for you, right? After all, you are letting me stay here for the night."

"I can't talk you out of it?"

"Nope!" She shoots him a cheeky grin. "You just sit tight while I take care of all the dirty work—"

He's suddenly beside her, breath hot against her ear, his voice almost a whisper. "No, let me do it, I insist."

His hand lightly grazes over hers, and she almost drops the sponge. But Kashima is a fighter; she won't let herself be tempted and give in to her desires. His hand is still on hers, and, yes, she does not let go of the sponge and for whatever goddamned reason, she places her other hand on top of his.

"As you wish, my love, but I insist that you let me guide you—"

"I JUST WANT TO WASH THE DISHES LIKE ANY RESPECATBLE HOST WOULD!"

"WELL MAYBE I WANT TO WASH THE DISHES LIKE ANY RESPECTABLE GUEST WOULD!"

"Well, how about I wash and you dry? Is that fair?"

"But I want to wash!" Kashima whines, throwing the sponge down into the sink. "And I touched the sponge first!"

"Why are you so _stubborn_?!"

"Because I don't want your beautiful hands to be soiled by all the chemicals in this dish soap!"

" _What?_ " Hori takes a step back before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Treating me like one of your princesses again, _prince_?"

Kashima takes his hand in hers and raises it to her lips. Kissing his knuckles, she smirks. "But what if that is your true desire? As your prince, it is my duty to make such a wish come true, is it not?"

Hori swats her hand away and tries to force a scowl in an attempt to hide the growing blush on his cheeks. "F-Fine just do whatever you like, okay? Do the goddamned dishes yourself! I'll just be sitting over there if you need anything."

Kashima laughs in response and tries to suppress her giggles while doing the dishes. "You're so cute," she thinks out loud, which causes her to almost drop the plate she's currently holding.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing! I didn't say anything!"

"Yes you did! What did you say?"

"Nothing! I _swear_ it was nothing. I was just thinking out loud about something."

"About what?"

 _About you._ But she doesn't have the guts to say that out loud, she remains silent and begins to rinse the dishes. When she finishes, she transfers everything over to the drying rack and dries off her hands with a nearby towel. She walks over towards Hori and sits next to him on the couch, watching the hands of the clock move.

"You can take the bed tonight. I'll sleep here on the couch," he says before getting up to get a spare blanket from a closet.

Kashima immediately gets up to follow him and tries to stop him. "No, it's fine, really! I'll take the couch!"

"Let me try and play the role of prince for once, 'kay?" he says while throwing the blanket onto the couch. Hori then shoves Kashima back into the hallway towards his bedroom. "Now _you_ will sleep in the bed because it would be rude of me to not let you, my guest, sleep in the bed."

" _Oh_ , so _chivalrous_ , Hori."

Hori rolls his eyes. " _Whatever_. Goodnight, Kashima."

"Night!"

She slowly closes the door and then turns around to examine his room. It's a very simple room. Pearl white walls, a dresser, a closet, a twin sized bed, a mirror, and a bookshelf. There are a few photos, she notices. _Friends from college?_

Kashima gives up on trying to find anything else of interest and turns off the light. (However, if she had looked just a little bit closer, she would've noticed a peculiar flashdrive with her name on it.) She hesitantly slips into the covers and feels her heart begin to pound against her chest. She rolls onto her side, relishing the way the cold blanket feels against her long legs, and when she takes a deep breath, she can smell him _all over her_. His pillow, his blankets, _everything_. Including herself. She is currently saturated in everything to do with Hori. (And she thought she had it bad that night after he gave her his number!)

 _Maybe I'll wake up dead tomorrow morning_ , Kashima muses. _The investigation report will read: "CAUSE OF DEATH: HORI MASAYUKI."_

Despite this, she allows herself to sink even deeper into the bed because she decides that this is okay. After all, he did _insist_ (very assertively) that she sleep in his bed.

" _Treating me like one of your princesses again, prince?"_

" _Let me try and play the role of prince for once, 'kay?"_

His words repeat themselves over and over again. She replays the moments over and over again in stunning clarity. _Maybe this is okay,_ Kashima decides, so she rolls out of bed and slowly opens the door. She tiptoes to the living room where Hori is fast asleep, his light snores cutting through the silence.

"This is just like whenever he falls asleep at the store," she whispers, trying to conceal her muffled laughter.

She takes a good long look at the sight before her and drinks it all in. Here he is, asleep once more. When she looks at him, the only thing she can think of is just how _peaceful_ and _beautiful_ he looks asleep. She watches the rise and fall of his chest and the way his mouth is slightly parted. Maybe she really just wants to kiss him now. (She _really_ does.)

Maybe she should.

So Kashima dances at the edge of uncertainty and tiptoes around broken glass. _This is okay._ _Just this once_. She gets down on her knees and lets out a sigh of content when she can finally see his face clearly in the shroud of darkness. She listens to the sound and rhythm of his breathing and allows herself to caress his face before planting a sweet, gentle kiss right above his eye.

"Goodnight, sweet prince," she says, her voice soft and full of love.

And unlike the princesses in fairytales, Kashima's princess does not awake. Instead, he remains asleep, completely ignorant of her true feelings, her true feelings which have only been growing these past couple of months.

 _It's strange how so much can change in such a short amount of time,_ Kashima muses on the way back to Hori's room. _It's strange being the one to fall in love for once._ Kashima Yuu: the prince, the one whom girls fawn over daily. She thinks of her fangirls who regularly visit her at the shop around noon each day without fail. She thinks about all of the princesses she has kissed on stage. She thinks about how _Hori is different_. There's something about him that's different from anyone else she's ever met. There's a strange attraction between them, she notices. It's like they're being drawn together by fate, as if it were the universe's will. To be honest, she does not know much about this man. Kashima likes to think that they are close, and maybe they are, but this isn't what she wants.

She wants more.

There's something electrifying about every time they interact. Kashima can feel it resonate throughout her entire being whenever they make eye contact or when they fingers accidentally brush against each other. He's exciting, he's new, and he's unfamiliar. But at the same time, it feels as if she's known him her whole life.

 _Maybe we were lovers in our past lives_ , Kashima wonders, clinging onto stories about love and romance and fairytales and happily ever afters. She drifts off to sleep, an endless expanse of darkness swallowing her and spitting her out into what appears to be the inside of an auditorium.

For the first time in a long time, Kashima is fourteen. Fourteen: naïve and apprehensive of the future. She's sitting between a few of her old middle school friends, watching a play. When she looks up she sees what looks like a younger Hori Masayuki. He's not playing the lead, but there's something about him that manages to capture her full attention. It doesn't matter that he's playing a supporting role—he's charismatic and _bewitching_. When she glances down at her hands, clasped over one another in her lap, she notices that they're shaking. Her hands are _shaking_ , and it's as if she has suddenly stopped breathing because now _she knows. She understands._

" _Our story didn't begin a few months ago,"_ Kashima whispers. _"It began..."_

* * *

Kashima's eyes fly open, and she's in Hori's bedroom once more. No auditorium. No stage. Hori in an apron—wait _what?_

"Oi, Kashima, I'm almost done making breakfast, so come out whenever you're ready. Oh and I left a spare toothbrush for you to use in the bathroom."

"Thanks, Hori. Just give me a few minutes."

"Gotcha. And take your time. I'm not in a hurry since I don't have work or anything today. It's my day off," he announces with a wide grin.

Kashima yawns and stretches her arms and legs before throwing the covers off. "I have to open the store soon, so I have to leave soon."

He pops back into the entrance of the room with a quizzical expression. "Uh, do you mind if I tag along? I have nothing to do today."

"Sure." Kashima rolls out of bed and hobbles to the restroom, too tired to even bother adjusting the t-shirt she's wearing so that her shoulder's no longer exposed. When she finishes, she sits down at the kitchen table, fork and knife in hand.

"Blueberry pancakes?"

Hori takes a seat next to her and hands her a bottle of syrup. "Yep. I guess it doesn't seem like I'd be the type of person to like pancakes for breakfast, huh?"

Kashima chuckles. "Nope, not at all! But there's nothing wrong with that. It's kinda cute."

"Wha? How is me liking pancakes cute?"

"I don't know! It just is?"

"Honestly, Kashima, you're so funny sometimes," he says, softly chuckling.

She scoots away from him and pouts as she attempts to finish her breakfast in record time. "Your pancakes are amazing, but I feel slightly insulted for some reason right now, so I don't like them."

"Huh?! That makes no sense!"

As consolation, Hori lets Kashima wash the dishes that morning without any protest.

They walk together into the city, down a road they are all too familiar with, but when Kashima takes an unfamiliar turn, Hori asks in alarm, "Wait I thought we were going to go open shop?"

"Uh, yeah... About that..." Kashima's voice trails off, and she reaches for Hori's wrist just in case he decides to run off because of one of the many ridiculous scenarios she has just conjured in her brain just now. "I lost my keychain which had the key to the shop on it, so we're going to take a quick detour and get my keys back."

"So you mean we're going to go and _look_ for your keys _now_?! The _hell_ , Kashima?!"

" _No,_ we're not going to go _look_ for them. I'm going to _get_ them."

They trot over to a locksmith's store, and Hori curiously observes Kashima's interaction with the locksmith. There are no exchanging of words—the locksmith simply slides a keychain with multiple keys on it across the counter towards Kashima, and she meticulously places money in his hand in a way that almost seems rehearsed.

"Thanks! I really appreciate it."

"No problem, kid." He blinks once, twice, before glancing at Hori, who's awkwardly standing beside Kashima. He shoots her a playful smile before motioning towards Hori. "Boyfriend?"

"Y—No."

"N-No, I'm—we're not—I'm not her boyfriend."

And that's how Kashima's day begins. She wakes up to Hori in an apron, gets to eat his cooking, and then gets asked if he's her boyfriend. (Not that she's complaining.) There's something exciting about the word _boyfriend—_ no, there's exciting about the words _"boyfriend"_ and _"Hori"_ being used in the same sentence. When she unlocks the entrance to the shop and walks through the doors with Hori, she sneaks a furtive glance at the shorter brunette beside her and feels something she can't quite describe. There's something that's eating away at her whenever she thinks of the word " _boyfriend_ , _"_ and it's not until they finish doing setting everything up that it hits her.

" _Wife"_ is definitely more fitting for Hori than "boyfriend."

"Do I have something on my face?" he asks, snapping Kashima out of her thoughts.

She blinks and cocks her head to the side. "Why do you ask?"

"Well you were staring at me for a while, so..."

"A-Ah, sorry. I kind of dozed off." She responds, desperately trying to feign indifference.

"Oh, ok." Hori pulls up a chair and sits beside Kashima, mimicking her and staring at the large glass doors at the front of the store. "It's kinda funny sitting next to you here this early in the morning. It's kinda like we're one of those couples that open up a store together or something."

Kashima lets out a chortle and beams at him. "Well, considering how often you come, maybe it's not too far from the truth at this point."

"You think?"

"Yeah," Kashima replies without any thought to the possible implications of her previous statement.

Hori rests his elbows on the large desk and curiously stares at the café across the street. "You know, I've noticed that there are a lot of interesting shops, cafés, and small businesses on this street. Is that why you opened up a bookstore here?"

She hums in deep thought and then slowly nods. "Yeah, I guess you could say that! A location like this tends to attract the attention of a lot of people, so I thought it would be a good idea!"

"Hm, I see."

And a lightbulb suddenly goes off in Kashima's head. "Oh yeah, you mentioned cafés earlier? One of my favorite cafés to go to is actually on this street! It's not too far from here. My friend Chiyo-chan runs it with her friends. It's called Chizuko."

"Chizuko?"

"Yep! She took syllables from her and her friends' names and got Chizuko, and they liked it enough to make it the store's official name. Chiyo-chan had a hard time after finishing university because she wanted to be an artist; it didn't really work out. My best friend, Mikorin, suggested to her that they open a café together for some reason he _still_ won't tell me, and eventually, Yuzuki tagged along."

Hori nods before leaning back in his chair. "I see. That's pretty interesting—you and your friends all deciding to open shops."

"Yeah, it's a pretty crazy coincidence! And well, Chizuko reminded them of that girl who got her friend Sadako to make one thousand paper cranes to make her wish come true. In a way, that store is that wish that came true. And they lived happily ever after! The end!"

"You really _are_ just as cheesy as the name of your store suggests. You never fail to surprise me, Kashima."

Kashima's eyes widen at his comment, and she can feel her face begin to grow warm. She turns away from him and covers her cheeks with her hands in an attempt to hide the growing blush on her face. "W-What is that supposed to mean?!"

He chuckles and attempts to reassure her by firmly placing his hand on her shoulder, but it only does the opposite, making her heart race at the sudden physical contact. "Nevermind what I said. They sound like a nice bunch. You should take me to that café one day and introduce me."

Kashima feels her heart skip a beat and _almost_ stop beating altogether. _Was that an invitation for me to ask him on a date or?_ She runs a hand through her cobalt hair and turns around, giving him the most _dazzling_ and _breathtaking_ smile she was physically capable of. " _Of course_."

And if her eyes aren't failing her, Hori is _blushing_. _Hori Masayuki is blushing._ His eyes are wide, and his mouth is agape, almost as if he were gawking at her—wait _is_ that what he's doing? They gaze into each other's eyes for what feels to be an eternity because Kashima now has every shade of gold in his eyes memorized at this point, every crease around his eyes, the curve of his eyelashes— _everything_.

"R-Right," he stutters, his face growing redder by the second. "I won't forget this. You better take me one day, 'kay?"

"How could I ever forget a request from you?"

The day passes by the way it normally does at the store. A few people trickle in during the early hours of the day, and once noon starts approaching, there are more people scrambling in and out. It's nice having someone else here to help, Kashima realizes. Having Hori by her side to assist customers whenever she's busy ringing someone up or vice versa is definitely really nice. Having him by her side is nice. Him just being here is nice. He's a bit overwhelmed when her fan club drops by for their daily visit because even though Kashima's trying to give them her full, unadulterated attention, they still manage to sneak suspicious, seething glances at Hori. After all the girls are satisfied and leave, Kashima finally allows herself to take a break; it's finally her favorite time of day. The store is almost empty, and it's just the two of them since her regulars (aside from her fangirls) typically don't show up on Sundays. (However, there is a certain tall, black-haired man sitting in the corner with a large stack of shoujo manga on the table.)

And she wishes everyday could be like this.

She talks a quick walk around the store to check that everything's in order while she sends Hori out on an errand to buy them lunch. Right as she's walking past the manga section, someone taps her shoulder.

"Can I ask for some advice?"

She turns around and sees the familiar, shoujo-reading man who, if she remembers correctly, is the one Chiyo-chan has a crush on.

"Sure, what do you need help with?"

She's staring into his eyes, trying to read him, and for some reason she can't get _anything._ Zilch! _Why is Chiyo-chan interested in someone as stoic as him?_ Kashima wonders.

"You see," he begins to speak with a voice that's even deeper than Hori's. (She didn't even know that was possible!) "My name is Nozaki. I'm a mangaka, and I write and draw shoujo manga. You may have heard of me, but I go under the alias Yumeno Sakiko. I'm the author of _Let's Love!_. I was wondering if you knew any good cafés with a nice atmosphere here that many couples may frequent? I'm planning on writing a chapter where Mamiko and Suzuki go on a date at a café, but there are so many near here. I'm not too familiar with most of the stores on this street."

 _THAT WAS A LOT TO TAKE IN!_ Kashima desperately attempts to process everything Nozaki has just relayed to her before clearing her throat and contemplating each plan of action she could possibly take.

"Chizuko's a great café that's not too far from here. It's my favorite, actually! Chiyo-chan makes a really good latte, so you should _specifically_ ask for her to make you coffee and say that Kashima sent you! You might even get a discount!"

His face instantly lights up at the prospect of finally finding the café he was looking for _and_ a potential discount to boot! He bows as a show of thanks and then pulls out a copy of his most recently published volume and signs his name on the inside cover. "Thank you, Kashima-kun!"

"N-No problem!" She stiffly takes the book and awkwardly watches as he dashes out the front doors. "Don't forget to ask for Chiyo-chan!"

She saunters over the entrance after he leaves when she notices Hori returning. With one quick motion, she props the door open with her hand and graciously invites him in. "Welcome back, my dearest."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Kashima looks him up and down and awkwardly stares at him. "Where's the food?"

"You see, I was gonna buy something to-go, but I changed my mind! We're going out for lunch!"

"But, Hori, the shop—"

"There's no one here right now, it'll be okay! Now, you like ramen?"

"Well, uh, yeah, I do, but I don't eat it often."

He triumphantly crosses his arms and grins. "You're going to _love_ me after we're done with lunch. Come on, follow me!"

" _But I already do_ ," Kashima mutters under her breath, so soft that she's not even sure whether she said that out loud.

He takes her hand—her _hand—_ and out they go into the city. After about a ten minute walk, they end up in a small, tightly packed ramen restaurant.

"You're about to have the _best_ bowl of ramen in your life, so prepare yourself!" he announces before releasing her hand.

Kashima looks down at her empty hand and frowns because his hand was _so warm._ It was as if their hands _belonged_ together; they were like two puzzle pieces that were a perfect fit. But she shakes her head and takes a seat across from him at a small table as doesn't take her eyes off him while he orders two bowls of tonkotsu ramen.

Suddenly, he's chuckling, and for some reason, Kashima feels her chest grow warm and butterflies swarming in her stomach. "You know, Kashima, you're staring at me again."

"Huh?" She snaps out of whatever trance she was in and finds herself only falling even deeper into the trap that is the wonderful Hori Masayuki's deep, golden eyes. "I-I was?"

He raises a brow and rests his chin in his hand. "Well, whatever. I bet you're wondering 'why the heck is this guy taking me out to eat _here?_ '"

"Well, kinda. You could've just gotten take out like two stores down."

"My favorite food is tonkotsu ramen, and this is my favorite place to get ramen. You told me about your favorite café and promised to take me there once, so I thought it was only fair that I shared this place with you."

Kashima almost chokes on her spit and wants to stop breathing and drop dead right then and there because if she's not overreacting and looking into his actions _too much_ , this is essentially a date in exchange for a future one, _right_?

Her mind goes blank and she suddenly loses all control over her brain and blurts out, "Wow, I didn't know you wanted to go on a date with me _that badly_."

 _SHIT._

"You know, Kashima..." he starts, his eyes narrowing and brows furrowing, "You can be pretty damn annoying sometimes, you know that?"

"Just one of my _many_ endearing qualities."

"You shouldn't be proud of _that!_ "

"Hah!" Kashima laughs, and playfully points a finger at him. "You know you like it."

"What if I don't?"

"What if I know _you do_?"

And just at the most opportune time possible, their ramen arrives.

"Shut up and eat your ramen..." he says, the tips of his ears now red.

"You are absolutely _adorable_."

"Keep talking and my fist is going to get really friendly with your face really soon."

Kashima giggles before picking up her chopsticks and beginning to eat her ramen. "Whatever you say, Hori- _chan_."

"I'm going to let that pass just this once. Now hurry up and _eat!_ Seriously! It's piping hot now. Do not let such good tonkotsu ramen go to waste!"

She nods and begins to eat, and after taking her first bite, she pauses, and Hori's looking at her, triumphantly smirking and crossing her arms. She can hear the words "I told you so" echoing in her head.

"This is _seriously good!_ "

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

For the rest of lunch, they occasionally talk between slurps of noodles and sips of soup. Hori, to Kashima's surprise, finishes in record time, broth and all. _That was seriously fast,_ Kashima thinks to herself, completely shocked.

"How did you finish so fast?" she asks with a bewildered expression on her face.

He smiles and awkwardly runs a hand through his hair, lightly blushing. "Well, you see tonkotsu ramen is my favorite food! I can't help it."

Hori watches as Kashima slowly finishes her bowl, and they talk about mundane things until she finishes—things like his day job and how he's been preparing for auditions. She's _technically_ listening, bobbing her head up in down in acknowledgement, but his words aren't really processing because the only thing running through her mind right now is: _Tonkotsu ramen is his favorite food, and I need to learn how to make this ASAP._

While distracted by her thoughts, Kashima's knee accidentally bumps against Hori's, and she's suddenly aware of just how small the table is. "A-Ah, sorry, Hori! That was my bad!"

And after apologizing, her leg accidentally bumps against his. _Curse these long legs!_

"N-No it's my fault, I got a bit too relaxed and wasn't aware of the space between us!"

They're both awkwardly laughing, trying to keep from bumping knees, legs, and feet against each other. When they pay the bill and leave, they walk back to the store in silence, now acutely aware of the physical space between them, and when their hands brush against each other's too many times for it to be called a coincidence, they choose to be feign ignorance, thinking that it doesn't have to mean anything.

When they reach the entrance of the store, Hori hesitantly tugs on Kashima's sleeve, blushing. "Kashima... I just... wanted to let you know that my auditions are tomorrow."

" _What?_ If that's the case, then why are you here with me?! You should be practicing—"

"Dammit, Kashima, I know that! It's just... I feel calm when I'm with you. I feel like if I spend today with you, for some reason, I know I'll do fine tomorrow. Whenever we hangout, my mind is unusually clear and I can't forget anything, so thanks for always being here for me."

"No problem, Hori... I know we haven't known each other for too long, but... I'll _always_ be here for you. And if you ever just want to hangout for whatever reason—look, you don't even need a reason—I'll always find time for you."

He's staring at her, and for some reason Kashima keeps leaning in closer, but she stops herself before she does something she may regret. Hori looks absolutely dumbfounded and at a loss for words. Kashima can see his face growing redder by the second, and she can only imagine how dry his mouth must feel. He looks like he wants to say something, but the best he can manage is, "I-I'm sorry. I'm kinda at a loss for words right now."

He awkwardly waves goodbye before running off and disappearing around the corner at the end of the street.

"Good luck tomorrow!" Kashima yells, hoping that her voice makes it to him and that he hasn't gotten too far.

He suddenly reappears and properly waves at her. "Thanks, Kashima! I'll see you tomorrow after it's all over!"

"Okay! See you tomorrow!"

And he disappears around the corner again, leaving Kashima alone in front of her empty store. She walks in and deeply inhales through her nose, taking in the scent of coffee and books. She walks over to her counter and sits down in a chair behind it, shifting around until she's somewhat more comfortable. She looks to her side and is _very_ aware of the empty space beside her.

Kashima sighs and clenches the fabric of her shirt. "I can't believe I miss him already."

* * *

Closing is a painful ordeal. The rest of the day wasn't too busy, and the store closes early on Sundays. Kashima can handle anything that's thrown at her, but life just happened to throw a curveball named Hori Masayuki today, and she finds herself sighing more times than she can count.

On the way home, Kashima finds the keys she somehow dropped that one night and almost considers tossing away the spare she got earlier that morning just so she could crash at Hori's place again, but she knows that would be far too obvious. Kashima's about to reach her apartment when something clicks in her head and she abruptly turns around and sprints to the nearest market.

When she returns home an hour later, she has two grocery bags in hand, detergent in one and softener in the other. Kashima unlocks the door to her apartment and swiftly locks the door behind her and sprints to her room, grabbing her full laundry basket and proceeds to do the laundry.

It's 10 PM when she finally finishes doing the laundry. After showering, she puts on freshly washed t-shirts and shorts, and promptly goes to bed. It's incredibly embarrassing when she thinks about it—after all, she had just bought the _exact_ same softener and detergent as her crush, and it doesn't get anymore embarrassing than that. Kashima is overwhelmed by the immense amount of shame and embarrassment she feels, but when she smells just like _him_ , how could she possibly complain?

And that's when she starts getting ideas like somehow convincing him to sleep over at _her_ place so that he'll be forced to use her shampoo and body wash and end up _smelling like her_.

(Kashima thinks that if she smelled like him, she would smell like home and actually fall asleep. She was terribly mistaken because now she can't stop blushing and sweating because the only thing going through her head now is how much she wants him to be near her _right now_.)

She slowly drifts off to sleep much like she did the night before in Hori's bed, and, strangely enough, she has the exact same dream again. When she awakes, she finally says what's been bothering her this whole time.

"So that one time back then... That was him, huh."

Kashima ponders what her life would be like if she had chased after him like she had wanted all those years ago and followed him to Roman Academy. Would they be even closer than they are now? Would her feelings for him be even stronger?

Hori has his auditions to focus on, and Kashima has her store. She dismisses those thoughts from her head and focuses on finishing her breakfast instead and how she needs to reorganize some of the sections in the stockroom.

She leaves for work in a hurry, thinking that maybe if she gets there sooner, she'll be able to drown herself in mundane tasks and drown out all thoughts related to Hori from her mind. Hori's auditions are taking place right now, and Kashima does not care. ( _She does— so much that it hurts.)_

But she just can't stop thinking about him. The rest of the day is long and painful, anxiety constantly building and subsiding throughout the course of the day. Normally Kashima is good at hiding these feelings, but her feelings of worry were perpetually etched in her face. She tries to spend extra time and attention on her fangirls today in a desperate attempt to distract herself, but her efforts were futile because afterwards, she only ended up feeling when the afternoon approaches and her store begins to empty, she feels her stomach do a strange flipflop and her heart _physically_ sink when he doesn't walk in through the double glass doors.

For once, Kashima is the one to fall asleep in the store.

* * *

She awakes to a familiar sight— deep, golden eyes and a lazy smile.

"Rise and shine, prince."

Hori is hunched over on the other side of the counter, curiously watching as Kashima's eyes slowly flutter open.

"E-Eh, Hori?!" Kashima stiffly sits up and stares at him incredulously. "Y-You're here! That means... That means you're done! H-How was it—your audition, I mean!"

He shrugs in response before grinning. "It was okay, I guess? There are a lot of things I think I could've done better, but for what it was, it wasn't too bad!"

Seeing him smile makes Kashima's heart flutter, and her mood instantly brightens. "So what did you have to do? You were reading a lot of scripts, so did you have to memorize something? A monologue?"

Hori shakes his head and moves to the other side of the counter to sit by Kashima. "It was a cold-read. I haven't acted in a long time, so I thought reading through some stuff and practicing a variety of scenes on my own was necessary. That's why I was reading so many scripts."

"Ah, I see," Kashima says while nodding. "Wait a minute... But from what I heard, auditions were announced only a month ago, so why come to my store so—"

"You're just thinking too hard, Kashima. I just felt like reading something, so I walked into the nearest bookstore that one day."

" _Right_..."

"What? You don't believe me?"

"No, no, I believe you, Hori. Whatever you say," she responds, dryly.

Hori huffs before sinking deeper into his chair, the tips of his ears turning red. "Whatever. Just forget whatever it was you were thinking earlier."

Kashima curiously eyes him and slumps forward to get a better look at his face. She gives him a sweet smile before suggesting, "Hey, as celebration for your great audition, how about I accompany you to the park for a nice, relaxing evening as a reward for all your hard work?"

The corners of his lips curve upward, and Kashima takes that as her cue to take his hand in hers. She slaps a hastily-made "closed early" sign on the door, and they depart to the heart of the city.

They walk beside one another on the loose gravel trail beside the shimmering lake, shoes kicking up rocks, and intertwined hands.

"Hey," Hori begins, fingers hesitantly beginning to untangle from her's. "You're still holding my hand."

"Ah, sorry. I... didn't realize." Kashima stops and lowers her eyes to their hands and slowly untangles her hand from his. "But why'd you wait so long to tell me? If you _really_ want to hold my hand, I won't mind."

She playfully reaches for his hand, and he retaliates by swiftly jerking his hand upward. "I-It just didn't cross my mind until now. You were busy dragging me all over the place!"

He's adamant about Kashima dropping the subject, but Kashima simply takes his hand in hers again and laughs. "You don't have to be so shy, my princess. I'll keep holding your hand if you want."

"Wow, prince, _so romantic,_ " Hori scoffs while rolling his eyes.

But the grin on Kashima's face grows wider when she squeezes his hand and he squeezes back.

They walk in silence, hand-in-hand, with the sun setting behind them.

"You play the role of the prince well," Kashima hears Hori whisper.

"You think so?" Kashima half-heartedly asks while leading him down to the side of the lake.

" _Yeah,_ " he replies, sounding breathless, and his voice is so raspy, that Kashima's breath hitches in her throat.

They sit on the lakeside, hands still furled together. Hori lets out a deep sigh, and Kashima responds by gently rubbing her thumb against the back of his hand. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried that I may have not made the cut."

"You did. I just know it, and you know what? I'm going to go to _all_ your shows, so you better have a first row seat reserved for me!"

Hori chuckles and gazes into her eyes before giving her a small smile. "But what about your store? That's not exactly a sound business practice, Kashima."

"Fine. Then I'll take weekends off! Just for you."

He looks down at their intertwined hands and back up at Kashima's radiant smile before demurely smiling back and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Dammit, you're so..." his voice trails off before continuing, voice warmer and filled with affection. "Thanks, Kashima."

They watch the sun set together, discussing mundane topics and laughing without a care in the world. Yes, this is what life should be like everyday, Kashima thinks. _Us, together._

But that's in inane thought which Kashima believes she shouldn't entertain any further because they both have their own responsibilities. They have to make a living somehow.

When sky turns a dark, midnight blue, they slowly get up and leave the park, and Kashima walks Hori home.

"You don't have to walk me home, Kashima. I'm perfectly capable of getting home safely." Hori says, trying to suppress a smile when she begins to swing their locked hands back and forth.

"I know," Kashima playfully croons.

When they reach his apartment complex, Kashima unravels her hand from his and smiles bittersweetly. "And my mission is complete. The prince successfully delivers the princess home. A happy ending. I bid you farewell and a good night's rest, milady!" she exclaims, bowing in a way that almost feels rehearsed.

Hori laughs and gently places a hand on her arm. "Stop with the theatrics already, Kashima." His hand slowly trails down her arm and settles on top of her hand. "And it's really late... You can stay at my place tonight if you'd like..."

Kashima clenches and unclenches the fist she just involuntarily made and swallows the lump in her throat, thinking that if she can get that to go away, then maybe her palms will stop sweating as much.

"Sure," she replies, squeezing his hand with her trepid one.

They make dinner together, taking turns chopping vegetables and washing the cutting board. All the fears Kashima had prior to entering his home immediately vanished, and she found herself enjoying herself and his presence. Dinner is a simple affair; they sit beside each other and bob their heads up and down, smiling at their successful execution.

"Maybe we should open a restaurant," Hori jests, lightly punching Kashima on the arm.

Kashima beams at him and laughs in response. "Maybe you're on to something."

Hori lets Kashima do the dishes, and entertains her with more details about his audition earlier that day. Afterwards, Kashima somehow coerces Hori into showing her recordings of his high school performances. He reluctantly gives in to her wishes, so they sit huddled next to each other under a large blanket as Kashima watches with wonder in her eyes and Hori buries his face in her shoulder, crying about how he can't bear to watch it any longer.

Kashima giggles in response and playfully pinches his cheek. "You were amazing back then! Better than me, that's for sure. And come on, Hori. One more play can't hurt. Let's watch _one_ more, 'kay? That's it. Just _one more_ _,_ and I'll turn it off."

"...Fine," he mumbles from underneath the blankets.

So they watch one more play, but they never quite make it to the end. A roar of applause is heard throughout the room, and the screen goes black. Hori and Kashima lay on the ground, arms wrapped around each other, fast asleep, and life has never been better.

* * *

By the end of the week, the results are posted. Hori is casted as a side character, and Kashima is _ecstatic_.

" _Look_ , Hori! _Looooook!_ " she exclaims, jumping up and down and excitedly pointing. "You did it! I told you that you did fine! And you're a _major_ side character! Oh god, I have to plan ahead! Rehearsals are normally for about a month or two, right?! I have to start putting up signs about new store hours and—"

"Kashima, _calm down_. And, no, you shouldn't take weekends off just for me. Just close earlier and attend a night show."

"But if I know I'm going to be going to a show, I'll be too excited to focus!"

"For the _whole_ entire day?"

She bobs her head up and down. " _Yes_!"

"Kashima..." he begins, rubbing his temple and sighing. "Please be realistic."

She pouts and crosses her arms. "Then what if I _want_ weekends off, huh? Sundays are usually dead, so I don't see why not."

Hori sheepishly laughs and runs a hand through his hair. " _Fine_. Do whatever you like, Kashima. I can't stop you once you've made your mind up, huh?"

"Yep," she proudly says, grinning.

"You smug _brat_ _._ "

"You know you _love_ it," Kashima sings, excessively drawing out the word _"love."_

Hori stares at her in disbelief, and when he doesn't speak, Kashima turns bright red. "W-What? What's wrong, Hori? Y-Y-You know I didn't actually mean it like _that!_ I-I mean, well, it's not that I _don't_ like you. Quite the contrary actually, but— oh _god_ , Hori just say something! Don't leave me hanging like that!"

"You're tone deaf."

"What?"

"You're tone deaf!" he exclaims before letting out a boisterous laugh and almost doubling over, clutching his stomach. "Y-Y-You're tone deaf! The great, perfect prince, Kashima Yuu, is _tone deaf_!"

"Y-You're so mean sometimes, Hori!" Kashima yells before swiftly turning around to cover her scarlet-red face.

His laughter only grows louder, and he forces himself to stop, desperately trying to keep his mouth shut while he reassuringly rubs Kashima's back.

"You know you _love_ it," he sings before doubling over in laughter and tears again.

"You're not being very cute right now," she whines.

He wipes a tear from his eye and lets out a pleased sigh. "Sorry, Kashima, my bad. It's just... I won't be able to visit you often because of rehearsals now, so I was trying to have a little fun with you."

"Oh." Kashima turns around and stares at him like a deer in headlights before closing her eyes and averting her gaze to the pavement. "It'll be lonely without you always coming in, y'know?"

Hori grabs her hand and lightly tugs before taking her back to her store. "Well, it's not like we're never gonna see each other again, and you _are_ coming to my weekend shows, right?" Kashima watches him with her mouth agape and notices his cheeks beginning to turn a little red. "And, well... if you ever get _that_ lonely, just drop by my place some time in the evening, and I guess I'll keep you company somehow. Just give me a call or something as a heads up."

Hori's trying his hardest to avoid making eye contact with Kashima in order to not draw attention to the growing blush on his face, but when she doesn't respond and simply continues to stand there, he throws all logic and poise out of the window.

"W-What are you doing just standing there? Can I at least get a damned _'Oh, thanks, Hori!'_ or something along the lines of that?" he yells, eliciting a muffled laugh from Kashima at his failed attempt to mimic her voice.

"S-Sorry, Hori. I'm just, uh... kinda speechless right now."

He runs a hand through his brown locks and sheepishly smiles. "Look how the tables have turned," he softly says before redirecting his gaze forward. "Oh, hey look, we're already here, Kashima."

"It looks like we are," she says, holding the door open. "Ladies first."

Hori rolls his eyes before muttering a "thanks" under his breath and softly smiling. When they walk in, they're greeted by a loud and somewhat rough voice.

"Hey, Yuu, that your new boyfriend Chiyo keeps tellin' me 'bout or what?"

"W-What? N-No, he's not!"

Hori glances up at Kashima and snickers at her bright red face. "I never knew the prince could make a face like that."

"B-Be quiet, Hori, it's not funny!"

He playfully fakes a gasp and throws his hands up to cover his mouth for extra effect. "I-I cant believe you would talk to one of your princesses like that!"

Seo lets out a roaring laugh (or was it a cackle?) and slaps the counter. "The two of ya are cute together. But seriously... You two goin' out?"

"No," Kashima cries, burying her face in her hands. "We are not."

"But I heard from Chiyo that ya stay the night at his place sometimes."

"W-What?!" Hori glares at Kashima, and the blush on his cheeks grow redder. "Do you tell this 'Chiyo' _everything_?"

"Not _everything!_ "

"Ooh, first lover's quarrel. Well, I'm gonna step out and leave you guys to it."

"Yuzuki, we are not—"

"Invite me to the wedding," she says before giving them a quick wave and dashing out of the store, mumbling something about having to tell Chiyo something _great_.

The store is dead silent upon Seo leaving, and Kashima and Hori awkwardly stand there, shifting their weight from side to side and mumbling several apologies. Kashima turns to walk to the counter and notices customers trying to hide their wide smiles, and she goes beet red again.

"J-Just forget what happened..." Hori suggests, cheeks still flushed.

Kashima sits down and clenches her hands into fists to hide her trembling fingers. "Wait forget about what?"

"Whatever just happened now."

"Our argument?"

"Yes, our argument. I mean, we already apologized, but— whatever. Yeah, just... forget."

"Okay, so let's put that tiny argument, if you want to call it that, behind us, but let's not forget about Yuzuki telling us to invite her to our wedding?"

"Why are you talking about that like we're actually going to have one?!"

"We're not?— I-I mean! N-N-No I didn't mean it like _that_. _Gosh_ , Hori!"

"Regardless..." he begins, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person I'd want to invite to a wedding."

"Yuzuki's a hoot at parties though."

"Whatever you say, Kashima— _Oh._ This 'Yuzuki' and 'Chiyo' are the people you wanted to introduce me to? At that cafe?"

Kashima nods. "Yep. But I guess that's not really the way I wanted you to meet them. Well, technically you haven't met Chiyo-chan yet, and there's also Mikoshiba."

"Ah, I see. Well, I'll be looking forward to that. I guess I'm done here for today. See you—"

"Wait!" Kashima jumps out of her seat and rushes over to Hori and grabs his hand. "How about I _properly_ introduce you after I close today?"

He slowly nods. "Sure..."

"Meet me here at 7, 'kay?"

"Ok," he says with a small smile. "I'll meet you at the front."

And Kashima bids him farewell, opening the door for him as he exits the store. When he's gone, Kashima let's out a deep sigh and sinks into her chair. "That was... _weird_."

"Weird? That exchange I just witnessed was very eye-opening— inspirational even!"

"Huh?" Kashima's eyes flicker upward and she furrows her brows together. "Er... You were watching all of that, Nozaki?"

"Yes! It was wonderful, and I think I now have new material for the next chapter of my manga! Your chemistry with that man just _sparked_ something in me."

"Huh?"

He gives her his thanks and hands over another signed copy of his manga before rushing out the store, eager to relay his new ideas to his new assistant. Kashima stares at his retreating figure with a puzzled expression but goes back to keeping face when someone walks up to the counter to ring something up. The rest of the day is fairly slow, so Kashima has time to unwind and think about the events that have transpired recently (and by events, she means _dates_ with Hori). And it's almost 7, she notices.

She calls out for Mayu and gives him a friendly wave. "You can leave early today! Just finish up and make sure to count—"

He slowly leaves, so Kashima assumes that he's already finished. She's not surprised that he's already done, but what _does_ surprise her is when he walks by her and _speaks_. Actually opens his mouth and says a _complete sentence._ "Tell him how you feel already."

And with that, he leaves, leaving Kashima, once again, speechless and dumbfounded.

She slaps herself in the face and shakes her head, mumbling under her breath about how she shouldn't let herself get caught off-guard like that so often while she counts the money in the register. Time passes slowly, but when Hori knocks on the glass door and gives her a smile, Kashima becomes accutely aware of the passage of time, how slowly she's been counting, and for some reason, her appearance because— Oh. _Oh_.

Kashima had been wearing one of dress shirts _all day._

She finishes and closes the register, locking it before grabbing her belongings, turning off all the lights, and meeting him outside. She involuntarily reaches for his hand but stops just short of her fingers brushing over his and quickly retracts it, hoping that he didn't notice.

Kashima lightly tugs at her shirt and asks, "Oh yeah... Sorry for not remembering sooner, but what do I do about this?"

"Oh, right! Um, just come over to my place afterwards and drop it off, and I washed your clothes for you, so you can go ahead and pick those up as well."

She softly chuckles. "Thanks, Hori. You're kinda like my mom sometimes. Or a reliable girlfriend."

"Oh, shut it."

"Whatever it is that your heart desires."

And he takes her hand in his, eliciting a soft giggle from Kashima. "Wow, I never knew you liked holding my hand so much."

"Huh?" he takes a quick glance at their hands before letting go of hers. "O-Oh... Sorry, I don't really know why I did that."

"A-Ah it's fine really. _Anyways_. To the cafe!"

It's a short walk to the cafe, and Kashima quickly introduces him to Sakura, Seo, and Mikoshiba. It's a civil affair, typical shaking of hands and exchanging of names.

"So how did you two meet?" they would ask over and _over_ again until Hori finally gave in.

"Well, I felt like reading something and her store just happened to be there, so I decided to go in. I heard a friend mention it before, so I thought 'why not?'"

Kashima then explains how he was too short to get something off the shelf and how she had to get it for him with a smug smile on her face, earning her a soft smack to the back of her head from Hori.

They sit around in a booth in the corner of the cafe with small cups of tea because Sakura insists that it's too late for coffee, much to everyone else's protests. (But for someone so tiny, her words sure do pack a punch.) It's livelier than usual now that there's a fresh face among them, Kashima notices, and she stares at him affectionately when he's too busy talking to notice.

Mikoshiba taps her on the shoulder and whispers, "You should ask him out already if you like him that much."

She gives him a look which he implies to mean, "I'll think about it" and "Thanks."

The night ends on a good note, with Hori and them exchanging numbers, and Kashima lets out the breath she didn't know she was holding because it's time to go home now.

* * *

For better or for worse, Kashima stays the night at his place again, opting to just sleep in the dress shirt he lent her despite him yelling at her about how she's going to get it all wrinkled. However, they're not tired, so none of them really end up sleeping. They had already watched all the recordings of Hori's high school plays, and there was nothing interesting on television, so Hori does the next best thing. He pulls out an old bottle of wine, muttering something about saving it for a special occasion before putting it down on the kitchen table, explaining that it was for a good cause and, hopefully, a bearable night's rest.

So they drink, and sooner or later, both of them are a bit tipsy because the two of them don't really drink that often. They're both sitting on his bed, talking about the most random things before Kashima crosses her legs and sits in front of him, holding out her hands and instructing him to do the same. He slowly lifts his hands up and cocks his head to the side, and Kashima begins to play hand games with him, monotonously singing "I went to a Chinese restaurant" and hopelessly trying to get him to coordinate with her.

(He's too drunk to even laugh at her terrible singing at this point.)

"How the fuck do... do ya remember how ta play this?"

"I dunno, Hori-chan. I just... I dunno," she attempts to explain, words slurring together, before exploding in a fit of giggles for no apparent reason.

After various mind-numbing activities, they fall asleep on his bed, Kashima's long limbs uncomfortably draped over his body. When they wake up, they are struck by a painful headache, and their throats feel like they're on fire.

" _Please_ don't tell me we did something that we'd regret for the rest of our lives last night," Hori says, voice unusually hoarse.

"Please don't tell me you have rehearsals today."

"I, fortunately, do not."

They slowly roll out of bed as Kashima mumbles something about not working today, and she gropes around for her phone to text Sakura about putting a closed sign on the front of her store.

"Please don't tell me that you told Sakura about how we got drunk last night."

"Hori, there are many things I tell Chiyo-chan, but this is something I am not willing to."

They spend the day at Hori's apartment cleaning the place, channel surfing, and preparing for his upcoming rehearsals in a week. Kashima helps him read lines and they give each other feedback (even though Kashima isn't going to be on stage). The day passes by slowly, but they're okay with that because sometimes, having things be like this is a nice change of pace.

"We should totally go to bed early today, don't you think?" Hori asks, walking out of the bathroom, combing his hair.

"Yeah," Kashima agrees. "Well, let's go!"

She jumps into his bed and snuggles deep into his blankets.

"Blanket hog," he mutters under his breath before forcing his way in, as if sharing a bed with Kashima were something normal. After getting in, he finally _realizes_ what exactly is going on and frowns. "Wait a minute when did we start... _this_?"

"What do you mean by ' _this'_?"

"I mean sharing a bed like it's no big deal and you always staying the night here."

"Good question... I have been spending a lot of time at your place, huh? Maybe I should just go ahead and move in with you," she says, laughing and playfully pokes his face.

He starts furiously blushing. "W-W-What? Do you have _any_ idea what you're saying right now?"

"What do you mean? I was just saying that since I spend so much time here, it's only logical that I move in. Actually, no, wait. Maybe you should move in to _my_ place because it's bigger!"

"Are you trying to imply that your place is better than mine because, for your information, my furniture is better."

"And why is that?"

"It's all handmade! All my blood, sweat and tears—"

"Minus the blood and tears, I hope?"

"Now's not the time to get cheeky with me, Kashima."

She chuckles. "Sorry, it's just nice joking around with you like this."

"I understand where you're coming from," he says, turning over so that he's facing her now. "But... I don't know... I've been wondering lately."

"Wondering about what?"

"What exactly are we? _Us_ , I mean."

"What do you mean? We're human! Unless you're trying to tell me that you're not because if you weren't, I would totally believe you because sometimes I can't really believe that you're real? If that makes any sense?"

"Okay, that made _no sense_ whatsoever, Kashima."

"How about we just sleep now?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

And they whisper "goodnight" to each other before dozing off in each other's arms. When Kashima awakes the next morning, Hori is gone, and she almost leaps out of bed until she sees at note on the dresser saying that he left early to go buy some groceries.

She sinks back into the bed and sulks. "Not fair. He totally left without properly telling me."

Kashima then forces herself to throw off the blankets and walks into the kitchen, deciding to make breakfast as thanks for letting her stay the night _again_. However, when she finishes, she eats without him, and in a sad attempt to give him a taste of his own medicine, she leaves him a note, saying that she left to go to work early.

On the way to the store, she buys roses and stationary for reasons she will never allow herself to admit. She takes out a fountain pen from the drawer beneath the counter and begins to write notes on different pieces of stationary. Kashima gets up, finds the script for the play Hori's going to be in, and stuffs a note and a rose into the book before neatly tucking it back into its place.

The next few days are incredibly nerve wracking but also strangely entertaining for Kashima. She knows that he'll keep coming back to read the same thing, so she takes it upon herself to put in a new note and flower each day. She watches as his face scrunches up in confusion, and occasionally, he'll call Kashima over, asking her to take a look at something, wondering who could possibly be writing those notes.

Kashima finds herself staying at his place more times than she would like to admit, so Hori takes it upon himself to make her take him to her home so he can secretly sneak some of her clothes out of her room and into his. The next time she stays the night, he throws pajamas into her face, which she recognizes to be her own. And when she finally has an epiphany and is frantically pointing at Hori and back at the clothes, sputtering questions of how, when, and why, Hori simply sighs and massages his temples before calmly suggesting that maybe she really _should_ move in soon because this is ridiculous.

His rehearsals eventually begin, and Kashima finds herself terribly missing his presence, longing for his voice, so she occasionally calls his cell just to hear his voice, saying nothing important in particular— just "I'll try to come and visit later" or "Call me back later" and "Please leave a message".

And a month passes, leaving Kashima exhausted but also very excited and the happiest she's been in a long time. It's his first show, and Kashima shows up like she promised, claiming her seat on the first row.

The show is amazing, Kashima thinks, watching Hori confidently say the very lines she practiced with him all those nights spent at his apartment. He looks dashing in his costume, and she notices every subtle way the expression on his face changes and each careful motion he makes. He's _blinding_ , but Kashima can't bring herself to look away. Her hand clenches the armrest, and she realizes that she's trembling.

 _Maybe I should tell him soon_ , she thinks. _I should tell him that I saw him all those years ago.I should tell him that I got into acting back then because of him._

Kashima wonders whether or not she would be on that stage, by his side, if she had followed him to Roman Academy all those years ago. But she can't pursue that line of thinking any further because he speaks again, and she loses herself in his acting.

Having to perform almost everyday is time-consuming and incredibly taxing, so Kashima thinks she's okay with him not coming to visit anymore. She still plants letters and flowers in books though, suggesting that he read them whenever he comes in to read for pleasure every now and then. Sometimes, after shows, she barges into his apartment uninvited, (but she knows she's always invited no matter what).

But if she were to be completely truthful and _honest_ with herself, she's _not_ happy at all. She's miserable because she's deeply in love with him, and she's known it for a very long time. So she sleeps when the store in dead, dreaming of a life with and without him, and wakes up after seeing visions of him packing up and walking down an empty road, suitcase in hand, not even turning around to say goodbye.

Kashima dozes off shortly after sitting up and doesn't react when a book is placed on her counter. She blinks once, twice, before her eyes finally focus, and she processes just what is going on.

 _How to_ _Get Someone to Fall in Love With You_ is sitting in front of her with a bright red rose and slip of stationary sticking out from the top, waiting to be scanned and bagged. When she looks up, her breath hitches in her throat and her hand twitches.

"H-Hori?"

"Yo, Kashima. It's been a while, huh?"

"Y-Yeah..." Kashima stares at him and back down at the book before asking, "Why this book?"

He awkwardly rubs his nape and laughs. "Well, I guess I just needed some advice."

"About a _girl_? Or is it a guy?"

"It's a girl..." he answers, voice trailing off. "In fact, you know her pretty well—"

"IS IT CHIYO-CHAN?! No, Hori, you can't have her! She likes Nozaki, so you can't! He's been visiting her at the cafe almost daily, asking her for advice, so they're super close now! They're _friends_ now, Hori! You can't— not at such an important time!"

"W-What?! No! It's not Sakura!"

Kashima picks up the book and tightly clutches it in her hands, holding it up. "T-Then who is it? I know her well, you say? What's she like?!"

"Well," he begins, averting his gaze to the floor, cheeks now flushed. "She's tall, has nice legs, short hair, and she's a very talented actor."

"Tall, nice legs, short hair, talented actor... _Wait_ , if I'm _just_ like her then why don't you like me—mmrph!"

And he kisses her, gentle and slow. She drops the book and gently caresses his face, gently running her fingers through his brown locks. When their lips part, they're gasping for breath, and Kashima breathlessly asks, "Why me?"

"Well, you're, for lack of a better word, _amazing_."

"Well, so are you!"

"Kashima, please don't make this a competition. Not _now_. And isn't this the part where you tell me 'I love you too! I always have!' like in those cheesy romance movies?"

"No, this is the part where I ask you about the letters and roses! Did you ever figure out who they were from?"

He laughs and leans in, resting his arms on the counter. "They were obviously from you."

"Wait, how long—"

"I figured it out on the first day. I just played along to make you happy."

"How did you?"

"Only _you_ would come up with something so _cheesy_ to write!"

"But you liked it, didn't you?" she says, suggestively wiggling her eyebrows and reaching for his tie to pull him in for a kiss. "And this is the part where I kiss you and we start going out, I move in, we invite Yuzuki to our wedding, and we live happily ever after."

He leans in and smiles against her mouth before saying, "That's the cheesiest thing you've ever said, but at least you didn't say 'the end'."

"How could I? This is only the beginning."

* * *

 ** _i wrote 4 other one shots for horikashi week, which are all on my AO3 and tumblr, so if you want to read those, drop by there and check it out since it's kind of a hassle to cross post all of those onto FFnet since i typed them all on another computer._**


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